Chapter 98

Previous summary:

Kato: "I-It's going according to plan."

Kei: "Mana, your face is red."

9 ～Rose's Perspective～

The youth who had transferred walked alongside me, and the young man who approached was a gentle-looking young adult.

His light brown hair seemed soft, and his face was also gentle.

However, contrary to his gentle appearance, his slender body was that of a well-trained warrior.

His steel-like physique was wrapped in a single-layered kimono.

The loosely tied clothing, secured only by a sash, was something I occasionally saw since coming to Diospiro.

I had heard from Shiran that it was the traditional attire of the northern Akel region.

A single-edged, curved sword hung from his waist.

Several wooden ornaments, resembling various creatures, dangled from his neck.

"…?"

The moment our eyes met, I was seized by a strange sensation.

It wasn't a strong feeling of discomfort.

But it wasn't weak enough to ignore.

Before I could grasp the nature of this vague discomfort, the young man shifted his gaze from me to the boy beside me.

"Hey, Aketo. Isn't that one of your fellow transfer students we heard about yesterday?"

"…I don't know."

The boy, Aketo, who had met us at the inn yesterday, frowned even more.

The young man looked exasperated.

"You always end up making enemies with that attitude…"

He said this in a tone that seemed to be advising.

His demeanor remained gentle throughout.

"Aketo, you were concerned about the movements of your fellow transfer students, weren't you? How can you not take advantage of this opportunity?"

It seemed that while the boy, Aketo, was reluctant, the young man was interested in us.

He smiled and approached us.

I couldn't sense any hostility.

He didn't seem like a bad person either.

If anything, his manner was likable.

But I was the bodyguard.

Regardless of his attitude, I couldn't let my guard down.

While staying close to my master, I slid my hand into the large pocket of my apron.

The handle of an axe under my fingertips.

As long as I was serving my master, I couldn't be defenseless.

The pocket, expanded like a magic item bag, contained weapons.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Sadias."

Whether he noticed my caution or not, Sadias stopped at a certain distance.

"And the one looking unhappy over there is Fuchu Aketo. I didn't expect to meet someone from my hometown in this country."

"…What do you want?"

My master's response was cautious.

While he didn't show an overtly hostile attitude like Aketo, he was clearly on guard.

It was a normal reaction for someone who had been approached by a stranger in the middle of town.

Sadias, on the other hand, remained friendly.

"It's nothing much. I just think it's a kind of fate that we, strangers, have met by chance. Would you like to have a chat? …Ah, don't worry. I know a fair bit about your situation."

"A fair bit?"

"That you appeared in the forest, that you have powers, and that there are a large number of you, which is unprecedented."

Though he didn't elaborate, it was clear he was talking about the transfer students.

However, it was unclear how much he knew.

My master asked cautiously.

"What do you mean by wanting to talk?"

"To put it bluntly, I want to know how Aketo's fellow transfer students are doing."

"…So you want to gather information?"

"Not just that, but…"

Sadias smiled, a pleasant and refreshing smile.

"I simply want to have a conversation. As I said earlier, meeting in such a place is a kind of fate. I hope we can build a friendly relationship. Fortunately, you don't seem like bad people."

He didn't seem to be lying.

It seemed safe enough to just have a conversation.

However, the decision was up to my master.

Observing his reaction, it seemed he was also hesitant.

My master had always been curious about why other transfer students were in this country.

If there was an opportunity to make contact in a friendly manner, there was no strong reason to reject it.

"Could you spare a moment for a chat?"

Feeling that there was no bad vibe, Sadias continued.

"Of course, I won't ask anything too personal. I just want to know things that don't inconvenience you…"

"Sadias!"

However, at that moment, an irritated shout echoed through the street.

"…Aketo"

Sadias, whose conversation had been interrupted, turned to his companion with a slightly surprised look.

"Stop it, Sadias."

Aketo, the transfer student, said this while attracting the attention of the people on the street, looking displeased.

"Getting involved is a waste of time."

He clearly didn't like it.

His tone was dismissive.

His gaze briefly fell on me, who was standing beside my master.

"This guy isn't any good either. The fact that he parades around with women like accessories is proof."

"…You!"

I involuntarily gripped the handle of the axe I had been touching.

"Stop it, Rose."

It was my master, who had been insulted, who stopped me.

He grabbed my arm, which had been linked with his.

"…I understand."

I answered briefly and released the axe handle.

I had let my guard down, but as a bodyguard, I had no intention of acting on impulse.

"…Hmph."

Aketo, seeing this, snorted and turned away.

I was angry, but I couldn't put my master in danger.

I quietly watched him leave.

As one of the parties involved left, the crowd resumed its usual chatter.

The remaining young man sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry. Aketo was rude."

"No, it's fine."

My master responded without showing much offense.

He wasn't completely unaffected, but his reaction was indifferent.

My master has this quality.

Perhaps it's a trait he developed from his experiences in this world.

"That guy saw me and another companion being mistaken for a couple yesterday. It was a misunderstanding, but today, seeing me with a different woman probably didn't leave a good impression."

"Really, I'm sorry."

Perhaps his lack of reaction was stimulating his guilt, as Sadias looked even more apologetic.

"Aketo is someone who got fed up with the attitudes of other transfer students and left."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. But I didn't expect him to dislike other transfer students so much. I was a bit hasty just now…"

Probably without realizing it, Sadias provided a new piece of information.

The boy, Aketo, seemed to have powers but was not part of any exploration team.

I see. That's why he wanted information.

From Yuna Iwano, I learned that some members had left the exploration team that arrived at Fort Evinus.

He might be one of those powered individuals.

However, there was no time to confirm this.

"Since I can't leave Aketo alone, I'll have to go. He doesn't have a translation stone right now."

"Understood."

"…It's a shame. I really wanted to talk."

Sadias sighed, genuinely disappointed, and my master looked at him with a slightly suspicious expression.

"…Why do you want to talk to us so much?"

"Hmm? Oh, I see. Maybe it's a bit strange?"

Sadias smiled, his gentle face lighting up.

"I just can't think of you as strangers."

"…"

"Aha, I'm sorry. I said something strange."

Sadias remained friendly until the end.

"If we meet again, let's talk."

***

Once Sadias' figure disappeared into the crowd, I finally relaxed.

They were quite an impressive pair.

While the impression of the rude Aketo was strong, Sadias also had a somewhat intriguing aura.

"…Strange, isn't it?"

Hearing my master mutter, I looked at his face.

"Does Master also find that Sadias character suspicious?"

"Huh?"

My master looked puzzled.

"No, I was talking about the translation stone."

"Translation stone…?"

Surprised by the unexpected answer, I tilted my head.

"Yes. Earlier, that Sadias guy said that Aketo doesn't have a translation stone right now. It seemed like Sadias had one. That's what caught my attention."

"…But isn't it not so strange? We also had Shiran and Kei each with a stone."

"Yes, but only they could use them. Now, Rose has a translation stone, right?"

"Yes, but that's because I learned how to use it."

"Right."

My master nodded.

"Kato is also learning how to use it. We transfer students can use translation stones if we take the time to learn. And since Aketo was alone yesterday, he must know how to use one."

"…That's true."

Yesterday, Sadias wasn't with Aketo, who was either already out of the inn or in his room.

Yet, Aketo was able to converse with the innkeeper.

This means he can use a translation stone.

"If he can use it, it makes sense that Aketo would have the stone. …I'm impressed you noticed that."

"I've been careful not to be alone in town. When I first learned about the situation at Fort Chelia, I was quite worried about the future. How to learn to use the stone, and how to obtain one in the first place…"

My master seemed to have realized something.

"…Wait. How did they get the translation stones?"

"I remember hearing that translation stones don't circulate much."

"Yes. They are usually only used by transfer students, so there's no demand in the general public. The Church of the Holy Cathedral, which supports the hero, usually has them. The Empire, with its vast territory and high likelihood of first contact, might have a good stock in its military. But in Akel…"

"Is Sadias from the Empire?"

"If so, it's strange that he's wearing Akel's traditional attire."

"True. …Or perhaps he's in a similar position to Shiran and Kei."

"Maybe. We're in a similar position to Aketo as well."

While there was still something nagging, my master nodded.

"He must have his reasons. …He seemed to really dislike other transfer students, so he might have seen something."

Whatever it is, it probably wasn't pleasant.

Of course, it's also possible that Aketo is just a difficult person.

"If you're curious, why not follow them and gather some information?"

I wasn't eager to interact with someone who had insulted my master, but if it was necessary, I would do it.

"…No, let's not."

However, my master dismissed my suggestion without much thought.

"Sadias is one thing, but Aketo clearly dislikes us. There's no need to provoke him unnecessarily."

"‘Tiger’? …To stroke a tiger's tail. It's a proverb from your world, isn't it?"

"…What, Rose. You know that? The part about the dragon, I didn't know. Was it Kato?"

"Yes. I think Mana heard it from Mihō. She was more of a voracious reader than a reader."

"Is that so? …Come to think of it, Lily taught me about bloodletting when we lived in the forest. I was wondering why, but it was for that reason."

My master, out of respect for the deceased, only heard stories about Mana, and thus knew little about Mihō's hobbies.

Incidentally, as a side note, the reason the meat of the monsters we hunted and ate in the forest was so terrible was that while we knew we needed to bleed them, we didn't know how to do it properly.

Lily, or rather, Mihō, didn't know about the rigor mortis and the aging process of meat.

Book knowledge has its limits.

It's only natural.

Properly processed parts of monster meat are considered delicacies in places like Fort Chelia, as I learned from Shiran.

"Sorry, I digressed. Anyway, I think it's better not to gather information."

I nodded at my master's words.

"Understood."

"Besides… Today, we're walking around town together, just the two of us. It's a rare opportunity, and it would be a waste to ruin it."

The last part was said with a slightly teasing tone.

Probably because he wasn't fully aware of it, but saying such things so casually was a bit unfair.

"Let's enjoy ourselves."

"Yes."

I had to consciously control my expression to prevent it from becoming doll-like.

***

After browsing the stalls, we returned to the main street lined with shops.

This was the first time we had entered a shop in town.

The variety of goods, from sundries to weapons and armor, was not only fresh but also very educational for someone involved in crafting.

I got a bit carried away.

Holding onto my master's arm, I dragged him from one shop to another.

I realized this when we left the shop that dealt with magic stones and felt a bit down.

I apologized for enjoying myself alone, but my master laughed and said it was fine.

"But…"

"It's okay. I'm enjoying myself too. We haven't had the chance to leisurely browse shops before. Besides, it's fun to see Rose acting like a child."

If I had the ability to blush, I would have been quite embarrassed.

To cover it up, I pulled on my master's hand.

"Ah, there's an interesting shop over there. Let's go."

"Alright, alright."

It took a while before I realized I had forgotten about my earlier disappointment.

In the end, we walked around town until the sun began to set.

"Let's head back soon."

"Yes."

Before leaving, we decided to replenish some supplies needed for our journey.

We also picked up some books from this world, as requested by Lily.

"…What's wrong?"

Just as we were about to leave the shop, my master spoke up.

"Is something the matter?"

"I thought I saw Shiran just now…"

"Shiran? …I'm sorry, I didn't notice."

Looking at the crowd, we couldn't see her golden hair and white armor.

Shiran, as a familiar, had less information in the Pass and couldn't track our positions.

"No, it might have been a mistake. I only caught a glimpse of her. Thinking about it, it's strange for her to be here."

While browsing the shops on the main street, we had moved to the outskirts of